Keri D. Ingraham Speaks at COSM with Governor Doug Ducey & Jenny Clark

In Scottsdale, Arizona, on November 18, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow and American Center for Transforming Education Director Keri D. Ingraham addressed the audience in a packed ballroom at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort during day one of Discovery Institute’s COSM Technology Summit, spanning three days. She referenced the countless significant accomplishments across various policy areas, including education reform, that the Honorable Doug Ducey achieved during his eight years as Governor of Arizona.

Most notably, on July 7, 2022, Governor Ducey signed universal school choice into law by expanding the Empowerment Scholarship Account program to all of Arizona’s more than 1.1 million students.

At the time, Governor Ducey explained:

Arizona kids will no longer be locked in underperforming schools. We are unlocking a whole new world of opportunity for them and their parents.

Arizona knows there is no limit to what students can accomplish when they have access to an innovative learning environment and the education that best fits their unique needs.

The landmark precedent was set — statewide school choice could be achieved, creating a free market K-12 education environment marked by parental choice and competition.

Not only did Governor Ducey grant school choice to all Arizona families, but he set the template for other states to follow.

Fast-forward to today, and 17 states have signed universal school choice into law. Those states are Arizona, West Virginia, Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming, Texas, Indiana, and New Hampshire.

As Governor Ducey has said:

Education is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Kids and families should be able to access the school or learning program that best fits their unique needs — regardless of income.

The benefits of a free market K-12 education are far-reaching – positively impacting each individual child, as well as the state’s society, workforce development, and economy.

Following Ingraham’s podium remarks, Arizona’s former Governor Doug Ducey and Arizona’s leading school choice advocate and Love Your School founder Jenny Clark joined Ingraham on stage for a 45-minute educational and engaging conversation.

Governor Ducey asked Clark and Ingraham a host of questions, starting with breaking up the ineffective K-12 education monopoly. Also discussed was the need to modernize education to prepare workers for high-demand and high-growth jobs, including educating the future tech workforce. Both Clark and Ingraham also talked about the role of technology and artificial intelligence in education before the session drew to a close.